hello-earth.com ~ Arthur H. Matthews... The Wall of Light... Chapter 10... page 79

~~~~~~~It was some weeks after the last visit of the great Venus Space-Ship, and my first journey to the Planet Mars that I heard from my Venus friends, then one night the alarm on the Tesla-Scope sounded. It was Frank with another suggestion; this time, an invitation to take a further journey to Mars, but not in person. Frank said Frances would transport me to Mars by means of mental-projector. I agreed; I would indeed like to complete our journey, for I felt sure there must be many more interesting things to see. So it was arranged; they would again visit me, sometime in March. It was during the early morning of March 14, 1969 that the alarm again sounded. I did not waste anytime getting to the X-12. They were all ready for me, Frank and Frances were at the open door, with bright smiles to greet me. "Good morning Arthur, come right in." Frances had her projector all set up. "Let's go," said Frank, "take a seat Arthur." I did so, and the next thing I knew, I was on the Planet Mars, walking along with Frank!
~~~~~~~How wonderfully strange and exciting it all seemed! We walked to the large canal, hurried to the pier, and got into a small boat. It was a curious vessel which appeared to be made of white porcelain; broad and short, with raised keel, prow, and expanded stern, moved by some form of electric motor. A pilot took his place at the bow, and, under a canopy of silk, in the light of a setting Sun, followed by the music of the City of Light, we passed the city, which even as we left it, slowly, in the descending darkness of the night, began to brighten with the light of the rock, and send upward its magic glow. "These boats", said Frank, "are not in common use on the canals. The larger boats, which are used for transport are made of the blue metal. All the boats are propelled by explosive engines, except these small ones, which have an electric motor. The power used to generate the electric current is obtained from the 'Energy-Rock.' These porcelain boats are curious; their sides, prows, poop and stern are ornamented by coloured designs, which are burnt in when the boat is made, for these extraordinary boats are made in huge furnaces in one piece, like a jug, vase or bowl. This small boat is propelled by a screw of blue metal." Down the crowded canal we slowly moved, amidst the calling crews, the pleasant cheers, and beckoning of sight-seers; and back of us rose on its hills the City of Light, which as we passed still further away, and watched in the fading sunset, began to glow, and finally, to shine like some titanic opal in the velvet shadows of the night.
~~~~~~~As we slowly moved into the undulating plain country, with its pretty towns and farm lands, it reminded me of our beautiful Eastern-Townships in the Province of beautiful Quebec. We saw solitary projections of rock as the stars stole urgently into the sky. The magic stone lamps began their soft illumination of the decks, while the sound of songs from people on the land came to us in snatches bewitchingly mixed with the strange odors of the beautiful flowers and grass, which grew along the sides of the canal. The landscape about us was wonderfully illuminated by the two satellites, Deimos and Phobos, which as is well known, were first seen (or perhaps I should say - were reported to have been seen) by astronomers on Earth. Prof. Asaph Hall is said to have been the first one on Earth to report them, in 1877. What a marvelous sight they presented, moving almost sensibly at their differing rates of revolution through a sky sown with stellar lights. The combined lights of these singular bodies surpassed the light of our Earth Moon, by reason of their closeness to the surface of Mars, while the more rapid motion of the inner satellite causes

The Wall of Light

Chapter 10

PART TWO

the most weird and beautiful changes of effect in the nocturnal glory they both lend to the Martian life. We were now sailing in a wide river-like canal, about a mile or more wide. On all sides the undulating ground, covered with cultivation varied with thick patches of trees, with here and there shining lights from towns and isolated homes, carried the eye onward to a rising hill country, beyond which, again, silhouetted against the shining sky where Phobos began to rise, mountain tops were just discernible.
~~~~~~~Deimos, the outer moon, was already shining, and its pale, sick light imparted a Peculiar blueness, impossible to describe, upon all surfaces it touched. Here was the phenomenon we witnessed with increasing pleasure. Phobos was emerging from a cloud and its yellow rays possessing a greater illuminating power, mingled suddenly with the blue beams of Deimos and the land thus lit by the combined flood of light from these twin lights seemed suddenly dipped in silver. A beautiful white light, most unreal, fell on tree and water, cliff, hill, and towns. It was a print in silver, and while we gazed in mute astonishment, the sharp shadows changed their position as Phobos, racing through the zenith, changed the inclination of its incident beams. The effect was in describable. I walked the deck in an agitation of wonder and delight, a delicious drowsiness overcame me, and after a while I noticed the pilot was changed, his place being taken by another, and that we were approaching a ridgy or rocky country. I found my way to the white couch prepared for me, and sank into a deep and dreamless sleep.
~~~~~~~The morning of the next day was clear and beautiful. Shall I ever forget that first approach to the mountains of Tiniti, where Tour and Neu, the villages of the quarries, are located. All day long the boat ran through a diversified country, covered with great hills of worn pebbles and rolling plains of what appeared to be sand. The canal passed through solitudes, where the silence was only broken by the cackling laugh of a crane-like bird, marching in lines along the banks, or perched like sleepy sentinels amid the out-stretched branches of the trees. These wild and fascinating regions were often alternated by miles of bright plantations, radiant with the yellow leaves of the Teloiv, bearing its deep red pods, while avenues of palms, not unlike the royal palm of the Earth, led in long vistas to clustering groups of houses, and we also caught glimpses of little lakes.
~~~~~~~I was interested in the Martian custom of public worship. Frank pointed out to me the churches of the people, they appear to be built of the magic-stone, high above the ground, and approached by encircling terraces of steps. Frank said he did not understand the Martian faith. There seemed, he said, little to understand about it, it was one national expression of the love of goodness and of beauty, but it was all directed to a source of infallible wisdom, power and justice.
~~~~~~~At last, we arrived at the entrance of a gloomy and stupendous gorge. It was the wonderful passage driven through the first area of igneous rocks before we reached the quarry country of the Tiniti. It pierced the dark and stubborn dike that rose in sheer walls 1,200 feet above our heads, and it seemed that the tide was carrying us into the bowels of the sphere. At that moment a loud report was heard, followed by another. Looking upward, Frank with outstretched hand said, "It was a meteor, a big one." He called to the pilot to stop the boat. A few of the attendants were grouped near us, and the loudly suppressed exclamations made me realize that these visitations were perhaps infrequent upon Mars. It was a meteoric shower, like our leonids in November, which I had seen many times at Lake Beauport. It rained pellets, or balls of fire, these phosphorescent trains gleaming spectrally, while a kind of half audible

crackling accompanied the fall. Shooting in irregular shoals or volleys, they would increase and diminish, and recurrent explosions announced the arrival at the ground of some meteoric mass.
~~~~~~~We continued on our way, and soon entered a wild, savage, almost treeless country; the bare gray or rusty and jagged expanses sloping up steeply from the edge of the canal, sparingly dotted over with gray bushes, and covered with an ashen coloured lichen. We moved for miles through the waste of a ruined world. The whole region had been the stage of great volcanic activity, and the broad plains excavated with deep pools that reflected their dismal, untenanted borders in the black depths of unruffled water, spoke of meteorological conditions long prolonged and intense. It was a weird strange place, silent and dead. But, amongst these vast ejections, these fossil craters were embedded masses of the rare self-luminous magic stone that made the City of Light. The canal passed along for miles in the depression between two folds of the surface. Finally, gazing ahead, there slowly came into view a huge, gaping rent in the side of the black and gray and red walls to our right, and a minute movement of living forms, scarcely discernible, revealed the first quarry near the little town of Tour.
~~~~~~~As we drew nearer, I descried a slant incline from the open excavation down which the blocks of stone were slid. They were brought to the surface by hoisting cranes, and just as our little boat glided to the dock, an enormous piece of stone was moving down the metal roadbed to the edge of the canal. Here we landed, and a crowd of people hailed us, and amongst them were many of the copper coloured northerners who work in the quarries. Their
day's work was over, and they crowded around us with interest. They were good-natured, but quiet, and dressed in a kind of overalls that was made in one garment from head to feet. Frank pushed amongst them, followed by me. We made our way to a pleasant house, built of the magic rock, and covered with an almost flat roof of the blue metal. In this house we were received by the Superintendent of Quarries. The greetings were pleasant, and as the Superintendent spoke both French and English, we got along fine.
~~~~~~~The rooms of this house were large square apartments, simply furnished with the white chairs, tables and couches I had seen in the City of Light, but on its walls were drawings of the quarry, the country, and groups of the workmen. Amongst the pictures were some wonderful large scenes of an ice country, and the lustrous high wall of a gigantic glacier. I pointed these out to Frank. He told me that to the north of the mountains lay the great northern sea, in winter a sea of ice, and that from continental elevations within it, glacial masses pushed outward, invading the southern country. In regions beyond there were fertile plains. Here were their settlements from which the workmen of the quarries had been brought, beyond this again lay the margins of the polar sea. Song and music closed the day and after eating the wine-soaked cakes, which the superintendent offered us, we made our way to the white and simple bed-chamber.
~~~~~~~The morning came, fresh and splendid. The air of Mars is so pure, vivid and dustless! We walked to the quarry mouth, Frank and the superintendent in front of me, leading the way. I stood looking backward every few steps, delighted to trace the broad river of the canal winding through the desolation for miles beyond. Then I noticed how rapid and effortless is motion in Mars. Volition is so easy and penetrating, the body becomes a mere plaything for the mind. Frank beckoned to me and as I looked where he was pointing, I saw just ahead, a great black object, about which a number of workmen were running excitedly like a swarm of ants. Frank said "You remember the meteor we saw last night, well there it is." Extended like a gigantic and deformed missile lay

an iron meteorite, still warm. A crevice spread down into its interior, and it bore the pits and depressions of the terrestrial objects. It measured some four feet in length, and must have weighed many tons.
~~~~~~~We continued our walk and soon stood gazing upon the receding roof of the great cavern, the heavy walls left like buttresses to hold up the overlying mountain ridge. The quarry extends far in under the ridge. We were to descend but before we did so the superintendent led us to the summit of the ridge. From here, we looked at a distant land beyond the volcanic area, occupied by farms and villages. It seemed peaceful and attractive. Beyond this, again, we just discerned the shimmering surface of the great Glacier, the superb train of ice. We descended again to the mouth of the quarry, and here we mounted a platform, used for an aerial elevator. On this we were swung far out from the dizzy sides of the quarry, slowly sank through the shaft of air, then passed into the cooler shadows of the deeper parts, where the Sun failed to penetrate. I cried aloud with delight, and the abyss shouted its salutation back. Still we descended, and soon saw back in the deep prolongations of the tunnel the shining walls of this phosphorescent cave. The method of quarrying is very much the same as used on Earth in the marble minds.
~~~~~~~The mines were very interesting, but time was pressing. Frank said we must leave and continue our journey towards the next town. We started from the great quarry once more on the nice porcelain boat. The sterile, sinister and yet marvelous region of lava beds, dikes and craters suddenly was passed, and the canal moved into the huge forest lands. This is a beautiful land: mountain ranges rising from four to six thousand feet cross it, holding broad valleys and plains, or elevated plateaus between them; lakes and rivers pass through it. The canals cross the great region in many directions. The trunk line we followed was carried up and down by systems of locks of astonishing magnitude and perfection. Great lakes were made convenient feeders, and rivers were also tapped to keep the water levels constant in the canals. The weather was that of a semi-tropical paradise, and the late flowers filled the air with fragrance. Quickly now we approached the great city of Heneri, and the pilot pointed out to us the distant hills, almost purple in a twilight haze, which encircled the Valley of the City of Heneri. The country we had entered was a fertile farm country, where great plantations and vineyards were established, and where great flocks of doves, are found. The enormous flocks of this snow-white bird were strangely beautiful. They made clouds in the air. Finally, we came to the last tier of locks at the summit of which my curiosity was to be satisfied by a view of the great City of Heneri, the CITY OF GLASS.
~~~~~~~It was night when our little boat floated upon the waters of the last lock that completed the ascent, and immediately below, the observatory station of Heneri. I was standing on the deck of our boat, watching impatiently the slowly rising tide upon which we were borne upward. Above us, looking at us with interest, on the walls of the lock, I could at first see, as we ascended the towers of the observatory station, a company of Martians. The night was clouds, and the lights of the hastening satellites were but intermittently evident. Gradually we passed upward beyond the obstructing wall and gate, and the wonderful and unimaginable splendor of the City of Heneri, like some great opal, lay before us in the immediate valley. The glistening panes of water below us marked the places of the descending line of locks. Around us were the buildings of the Heneri Observatory and to the right and left swept the forested slopes of a circular range which, as I later saw, ranged about in one amphitheatrical circuit, the great vale of Heneri. The wonderful city glowing below us seemed to magnetize attention, and control, through its wonderfulness, each wavering attitude of interest. The eye of earth man never beheld so astonishing

a picture. Imagine a city reaching twenty miles in all directions built of glass variously designed, interrupted by tall towers, pyramids, minarets, steeples, light, fantastic and beautiful structures, all aflame, or rather softly radiating a variously coloured glory of light. Imagine this great area of buildings, penetrated by broad avenues, radiating like the spokes of a wheel from the center where rose upward to the sky a colossal amphitheatre. Imagine these roads, delineated to the eye by tall chimneys of tubes of glass through which played an electric current, which removed every trace of smoke, converting each one into a lovely pillar.
~~~~~~~I could see canals or rivers of water winding through the City spanned by arches of flame, but the night was still further turned to day, for above the city, high in the velvet black sky were suspended thousands of glass balloons, each emitting the soft illumination that marked the lines of streets. So full and opulent was the flood of light, that the summit I had reached, the encircling hills, and the farther side of the saucer-shaped valley where Heneri lay, were bathed in an equally diffused radiation. But as if the heavenly marvel might still further startle and amaze and charm me, from the City rose the swelling chords of choruses; billows of sound, softened by distance, beat in melodious surges on the high encompassing lands. I stood mute and transfixed.
It seemed a beatific vision. If the very air had been filled with ascending choruses of angels; if the dark zenith had opened and revealed the throne of the Almighty; it would have seemed but a congruous and expected climax. Long I gazed, then Frank by my side woke me up, as he said "Let us be going Arthur, there is plenty more to see and much to do." We then continued to walk towards the city and had gone but a short distance when a messenger met us with an important message for Frank, who was to return with him to the Council!
~~~~~~~The messenger was a beautiful youth, not dressed as the citizens of the City of Light, but clothed in a tight fitting doublet of a creamy colour, with short trunks of yellow, and on his feet were sandals. He saluted me, and said, "Greetings Earth man, you may come along with our Venus friend." "But," said Frank, "what do you require of me?" "It is the Council who seek your service," answered the messenger. "I advise haste." There is great excitement and dread in Heneri, Mars is in the path of a comet." Without further delay, we made haste towards the Hall of the Council, a low inconspicuous building of yellow brick. The doors of the single chamber, which embraced all the interior space, swung open, and we stood on the threshold of a shallow, rectangular depression, surrounded on all sides with benches, and holding in its central area a long table, at which, beneath tall lamps sat perhaps a dozen men and women. The faces of these rulers of Mars, for that is what they were, turned to us as we entered. The messenger announced us, and we were invited to seat ourselves at the head of the table.
~~~~~~~"Welcome stranger from Earth, we know Frank of Venus. The Martian Spirit is that of salutation and friendship. We have heard of the discoveries made on Earth by your friend Tesla, which have led your Earth people to journey into space, and warned you of the danger which now apparently is about to cause the doom of this great city, and perhaps destroy the planet Mars, which we are informed, lies in the path, certainly defined and determined by observers, of a large cometary mass, which will plunge upon it a rain of rock and red-hot iron. Even now this approaching body grows more and more visible in the sky.
~~~~~~~The astronomers are working at the problem, hoping some deflection, some interpositional mercy will carry off this disturbing incidence. But if we are to be destroyed, if there is no escape from the singular fortune of annihilation by an inrushing stream of meteoric bodies, then warning through proclam-

ation, shall be made, and our citizens will move out of the city, and go away from it as far as possible, in the hope that the whole of Mars will not be completely destroyed. We have no other solution, except it may well be, that our good friend from Venus, Frank, perhaps sent to us by a greater power, has the answer. This is our last hope. We therefore give to you the power to direct us. Whatever you say will be done. Take time to think deeply before you decide that course you wish to follow. In the meantime, you shall be the guest of our City, and if it must be that this great capital of Mars must succumb to this mysterious invasion; if this place, so long a marvel of beauty, shall be succeeded by a heap of burning stones, then you shall be our companions in pilgrimage. Please remain with us until the end of this strange circumstance is known."
~~~~~~~As he finished a noise of indescribable lamentation from a multitude of voices broke upon our ears, the sound of running feet and sharp cries of amazement, crashed in upon the half ominous silence about us, and then, the doors of the room swung open, and loud voices were heard crying, "The Peril, comes. Run to the Hills!" Panic, that nameless mental terror of the unknown, which on Earth spreads fever-like through multitudes, had arisen amongst the Martians, and hurrying crowds were hastening in a wild retreat from this wonderful City of Glass to the hills. It has always been the same. When man places his faith in man made Gods he finds out the hard way that he has no place to go. As at the time of the flood; millions ran, but they found no place safe to run to, so it was on Mars. It had placed its faith in man made beauty! Well, here was something they could not face, so, as on Earth, they ran!
~~~~~~~Frank looked thoughtful, he took my arm and we walked outside, Faces were turned toward the sky, the approaching thing had grown sensibly since an hour ago! It glittered, and now appeared to be the size of the full Moon, and a light coruscation seemed coming from its edges. The fears of the multitude were justified. The mass above us was a train of missiles, hurling toward Mars! Its contact seemed more and more imminent. I felt a nameless terror, for a moment only; for when I turned to look at Frank, I saw that he was not a bit troubled. "Frank," I said, "are you not afraid of this mass of "something," which is about to destroy this City, and perhaps the planet Mars?" Frank looked at me, with a smile, and replied to me with a question, "No Arthur I am not worried and you should not be. You pretend to believe in Christ, you say you believe in the one great God. Your present action will prove if you are a Christian or not!
~~~~~~~Remember, your world was destroyed by water; millions at that time pretended to believe in God, they went about doing good, that is, good according to them, but when that great test came only eight persons could prove they really believed in God, and therefore they were saved. If you my dear Arthur, believe in God, that thing above which you appear to be afraid of can not harm one hair of your head. The people of Mars have a lesson to learn.
~~~~~~~Let us return to the council room." We found the members still at the table, they invited us to join them, which we did. Frank then said; "Friends of Planet Mars, I have carefully thought over the matter, and by the special Thought Power which we use on Venus, I have made contact with our rulers, and otherwise men and women, who assure me, and I am instructed to extend their finding to you, which I trust you will accept in the spirit of friendship and love, with which I give it." The Mars leader said that anything Frank said would be accepted in that spirit. "Thank you for this great honour, "said Frank." Our wise leaders tell me that the mass above our heads, will not destroy this great Planet Mars, nor will it completely destroy this

city. I am informed that this object is sent to you as a last warning to mend your ways, throw away your false Gods, whom you note do nothing to save you from this thing which your people fear so greatly. You will not be offered a second chance, there is but one God; if you are wise, you will believe in Him."
~~~~~~~With the ending of those words, Frank sat down. For many moments, there was complete silence; no one spoke. Then the leader rose. "Thank you Frank, you have indeed taught us a good lesson. I must admit, we have forgotten God; we placed all of our faith in the material beauty, which you see all around us. I will now inform the people of your message. You and your Earth Man friend have the freedom of Mars, do as you wish. Time will soon prove your statements, but before we part, will you tell me to what extent Mars will suffer?" "Yes," replied Frank, "the wise leaders of Venus say that Mars will never be completely destroyed; but some of the man made beauty, such as your glass buildings will be damaged, and some of your people will no doubt be hurt if they remain within the glass buildings. Soon, you may expect a shower of small stones, that is all." "Thank God for His mercy and goodness. With your permit Arthur and I will remain within this building of brick and its strong iron roof!"
~~~~~~~Almost before Frank ended his talk, we heard the patter of rocks, falling on the roof. It grew dark, as if a thunderstorm was over head. The shower lasted for almost two hours, then the Sun came out, the patter on the roof stopped, and Frank and I walked outside. Where was the once beautiful Glass City? Nothing but a broken waste lay around, many feet deep of broken glass. What a sad ending, but it could have been worse. I must have said my thoughts out loud, for Frank answered, "Yes my dear friend, it could have been much worse, and now as we have seen this planet, let us return to Earth. But before we leave we must return to the council room." We then walked back into the room, where we found the members still seated, looking at a large "living" picture, which was located on one wall. They asked us to join them in a picture journey around the planet to view the damage. To our amazement, we saw that every city on Mars had been damaged! But the leaders agreed with Frank when he said "It could have been worse." The people had a great lesson, they would rebuild, but this time it would be built on the solid foundation of Christ.
~~~~~~~After we had seen all of Mars, we requested permit to leave, which the leaders granted. As we bid each other good-bye, I was wondering how we would return to Earth. And when I asked Frank, he replied, "We shall return in the same way in which we came, when you are ready just say the word, and Frances will bring us back." I felt the same as I did when I first walked on the planet Venus. It was difficult to believe that it was only my mind here on the planet Mars. "All ready," I said to Frank, "lets get to dear old smoky Earth," Frank then took hold of my hand, and the next moment we were in the great X-12, where Frances greeted us with her beautiful smile. "Welcome back home" she said. "Did you like Mars?" "Yes and no," I replied. We told her what had occurred, but of course, she had seen it all on her magic projector, and then in a few moments it was time to part, I again watched the great ship float away into the misty sky.

End Chapter 10 Part 2 near the end of page 85

I checked every word in
The Wall of Light
to be sure it was just as Arthur typed it.
~~~~~~~~~~~Curtis

last update
23 June 2021 ~ 12:36 EST

Hello Earth
Historicity Productions

hello-earth.com

Historicity Productions
91 River Rd.
Stockton, New Jersey 08559
USA